Boston Air Defense Sector
Boston Air Defense Sector | |
|---|---|
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Emblem of the Boston Air Defense Sector | |
| Active | 1956-1966 |
| Country |
.svg.png){kind=small} United States |
| Branch |
 United States Air Force |
| Type | Fighter Interceptor |
| Role | Air Defense |
| Part of | Air Defense Command |
| Motto(s) | Ready |
The Boston Air Defense Sector (BADS) is an inactive United States Air Force Air Defense Command (ADC) organization. Its last assignment was with the ADC 26th Air Division at Hancock Field, New York.
History
BADS was established in 1956 at Stewart Air Force Base (AFB), New York as the 4622nd Air Defense Wing[1] pending completion of the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) Direction Center (DC-02) and Combat Center (CC-04) which became operational 15 September 1958. DC-02 was equipped with dual AN/FSQ-7 Computers. Early in 1957, the wing was redesignated as the Boston Air Defense Sector.[1]
The mission of the BADS was to provide air defense over New England initially in an area covering southern Maine, southern New Hampshire, southern Vermont, Massachusetts, northern Rhode Island and Connecticut and part of New York.[2] The day-to-day operations of the command were to train and maintain tactical units flying jet interceptor aircraft (North American F-86 Sabre, Northrop F-89 Scorpion, Lockheed F-94 Starfire, Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, Lockheed F-104 Starfighter) and operating radars and interceptor missiles (Boeing CIM-10 Bomarc) in a state of readiness with training missions and series of exercises with Strategic Air Command and other units simulating interceptions of incoming enemy aircraft. From 1960 to 1962, BADS was also responsible for a squadron in Nova Scotia that controlled interceptors "manually" (by voice instructions rather than by data link).[3]
The Otis Bomarc SAMs (26th ADMS) were directed from the Air Defense Direction Center (CC-01/DC-03) at Hancock Air Force Base, Syracuse, New York. Continental Air Defense Command, in setting up the air defence command and control system in the area, had designated the Boston Air Defense Sector as 1 of 4 sectors in the 26th Air Division "effective April 1, 1958"[4][5] DC-03 was operational on December 1, 1958;[6] and the division was the 1st operational in the SAGE Air Defense Network — 1 January 1959 (CC-01 was the "first SAGE regional battle post", beginning operations "in early 1959".)[7]
The Sector was moved on paper to Hancock Field, New York and was eliminated on 1 April 1966[8] due to a general reorganization of ADC. Most of its assigned units were reassigned to the 34th or 35th Air Divisions.
Lineage
- Designated as the 4622d Air Defense Wing, SAGE on 1 April 1956 and organized
- Redesignated as Boston Air Defense Sector on 8 January 1957
- Discontinued and inactivated on 1 April 1966
Assignments
- Eastern Air Defense Force, 1 April 1956 - 18 October 1956
- 26th Air Division, 18 October 1956 - 1 October 1966
Stations
- Stewart AFB, New York, 1 April 1956 - 1 April 1966
- Hancock Field, New York, 1 April 1966 - 1 April 1966
Components
Wings
- 33d Fighter Wing (Air Defense)[9]
- Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 8 January - 18 August 1957
Groups
- 329th Fighter Group (Air Defense)[10]
- Stewart AFB, New York, 18 October 1956 - 1 August 1959
- Westover AFB, Massachusetts, 1 July 1957 - 30 April 1958
- Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 18 August 1957 - 1 September 1959
Interceptor squadrons
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Missile squadron
- Otis AFB, Massachusetts, 1 March 1959 - 1 April 1966
Radar squadrons
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Weapons Systems
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See also
- List of USAF Aerospace Defense Command General Surveillance Radar Stations
- Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons
- List of MAJCOM wings
- List of United States Air Force aircraft control and warning squadrons
References
Notes
- 1 2 Cornett, Lloyd H; Johnson, Mildred W (1980). A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization, 1946-1980 (PDF). Peterson AFB, CO: Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center. p. 65.
- ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p. 31(Map)
- ↑ History of 672nd AC&W Sq, Jan 1961-Dec 1961 (accessed Feb 4, 2012)
- ↑ Preface by Buss, L. H. (Director) (1 October 1958). North American Air Defense Command Historical Summary: January–June 1958 (Report). Directorate of Command History: Office of Information Services.
- ↑ Preface by Buss, L. H. (Director) (14 April 1959). North American Air Defense Command and Continental Air Defense Command Historical Summary: July–December 1958 (Report). Directorate of Command History: Office of Information Services.
- ↑ Condit, Kenneth W. (1992) [1971]. "Chapter 15: Continental Defense". The Joint Chiefs of Staff and National Policy: 1955-1956 (PDF) (Report). Volume VI of History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Washington, DC: Historical Office, Joint Staff.
- ↑ Schaffel, Kenneth (1991). Emerging Shield: The Air Force and the Evolution of Continental Air Defense 1945-1960. General Histories (Report). Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-60-9. Archived from the original (45MB pdf) on 2005-11-13. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
- ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p. 57
- ↑ Ravenstein, Charles A (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 58. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
- ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p. 79
- 1 2 Cornett & Johnson, p. 89
- ↑ Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. p. 213. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
- 1 2 3 Cornett & Johnson, pp. 116-19
- ↑ Maurer, p. 235
- ↑ Maurer, p. 275
- ↑ Maurer, p. 399
- ↑ Maurer, p. 417
- ↑ "Factsheet 337th Flight Test Squadron". Air Force Historical Research Agency. April 7, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2017.
- ↑ Maurer, p. 572
- ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p. 150
- 1 2 3 4 5 Cornett & Johnson, pp. 155-57
- ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p. 98
- 1 2 Cornett & Johnson, p. 165-66
- ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p. 102
- ↑ Cornett & Johnson, p. 173
Bibliography
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.
- Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
- Radomes.org Boston Air Defense Sector
- Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977 (PDF). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
Further Reading
- Leonard, Barry (2009). History of Strategic Air and Ballistic Missile Defense (PDF). , Vol II, 1955-1972. Fort McNair, DC: Center for Military History. ISBN 978-1-4379-2131-1.
- Redmond, Kent C; Smith, Thomas M (2000). From Whirlwind to MITRE: The R&D Story of The SAGE Air Defense Computer. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-18201-0.
- Winkler, David F.; Webster, Julie L (1997). Searching the skies : the legacy of the United States Cold War defense Radar Program (PDF). Champaign, IL: US Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratories. LCCN 97020912.
